The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1887-09-09
A BEAUTIFUL WHISTLER.
An American Lady Who Whistles for
New York Society.
Especial Correspondence.

An American Lady Who Whistles for
New York Society.
Especial Correspondence
New YoRE,
was at an afternoon concert. Auditors
were not plenty and the performance opened
late A matronly lady who sat near lne be-
guiled the time by opening conversation
with some gigglng maidens in the rear.
"Haye you heard the whistling lady?" she
said.
No, they had not: but they had heard of
her. Then she went on to tell of the wonder
full gift possessed by this lady-how she had
heard her at Mrs. Lofty's reception, and also
at Mrs. Tiptops. If had not known that
both of these houses were considered swell
should have known it by the peculiar tone
that crept into her voice when she pronounced
their names What is there in human beings,
anyway, which makes them acknowledge
themselves fattered by the notice of some
body who has more pretension, perhaps more
money, and possibly less sense? What is it?
Are we by nature a little breed, OR has the
worship of artificial gods made us so?
The good lady ratified on, telling how all
the young people were trying to whistle in
imitation of "the feminine whistler" and that
she had never heard anything so sweet in her
life as the whistler's music. ...s.. .t
Mrs. Shaw makes whistling an art. She
stands up at crowded receptions and
whistles divinely; whistles as a solo
singer sings, with an orchestral or
piano accompaniment, or without it if
necessary, but only on the expiration of
the breath.
Care in the selection of music as well as
close attention to method, distinguishes Mrs
Shaw's whisthng. She only renders pieces of
nigh musical order. And then she whistles
and looks pretty at the same time, which is
something few male whistlers can do. Tall,
beautiful, very Juno in figure, she is the
last person whom one would suspect of being
addicted to an art that once was forbidden to
our sex on pain of coming to a bad end"
Her tones in whistling are bird like in beauty
No one who has not heard her can form any
idea of how gloriously the whistling talent
can be developed. She can whistle to parlor
limitations or to the immense space of the
Metropolitan opera house. Her register is
two and one-third octaves.
Whistling being purely a labial art, the
beautiful whistler has no fears of being robbed
of her gift by the hoarseness and colds which
keep singers in terror.
And what does New York think of her
whistling! Goes wild over it, as might be
expected. Engagements crowd upon her
thick and fast; and they do say that she re-
ceives $25 for whistling single piece. Next
season she expects to go abroad and make an
appearance before musical critics and pa
irons. She has made the successful and inter-
esting experiment of whistling with full
orchestral accompaniment. She has whistled.
for Mrs. Cleveland, as well as for the shining
lights of society in this city. She has cer-
tainly introduced and developed musical
novelty, although she is not the only woman
who whistles Miss Chamberlain, of Boston,
and Miss Adelaide Dechlon, formerly of Wal
lacks, and now in London, both gained some
celebrity as whistlers, but their methods are
different from Mrs. Shaws. G. G.